Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Uniqlo x Cecilie Bahnsen
    • Perfume Necklaces
    • The Board Whisperers
    • Choulie
    • Holiday Movies
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Meghan Markle's Wedding Nail Polish Adhered to Royal Protocol

    Breaking rules? Not today.

    Chloe Metzger's avatar
    By Chloe Metzger
    Published 19 May 2018 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Event, Veil, Ceremony, Happy, Wedding dress, Marriage, Hand, Fashion accessory, Dress, Bride,
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Welp, guys, Meghan Markle is officially a royal—or, to be specific, the Duchess of Sussex. And though rumors and speculation have run rampant for months as to how she would wear her hair or do her makeup, I wanted to know what she’d do with her nails.

    Finger, Hand, Nail, Ring, Engagement ring, Jewellery, Fashion accessory, Wedding ring, Gesture, Thumb,

    (Image credit: Getty)

    Yes, it seems like such a minor detail, but when you consider the fact that the close-up shot of Harry and Meghan exchanging rings would be seen ‘round the world a billion times over, a manicure doesn’t seem so trivial anymore. And finally, her nails have been revealed: Meghan Markle choose a subtle, pale-pink polish for her neutral nail look.

    Historically, royal protocol discourages bright, distracting nail polishes, so it’s not surprising that Meghan didn’t push the rules on her wedding day.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Though we don’t have a confirmed nail polish shade or manicurist responsible, we do know that the Queen’s favorite nail polish is Essie’s iconic nail polish in Ballet Slippers, which she’s been wearing since 1989, when her then-hairstylist sent her a bottle of the sheer-pink shade to try.

    So perhaps Meghan took cues from the Queen (not a bad idea, tbh) and opted for the same shade, or maybe followed Kate Middleton’s lead and used the same Essie Nail Polish in Allure that she wore to her wedding in 2011.

    You may like
    • Princess Kate manicure trend Did Princess Kate Just Weigh In On This Controversial Manicure Trend?
    • Meghan Markle pulling up the collar on her coat and smiling Meghan Markle's Bare Ears and Simple Rings "Send a Powerful Message"
    • Meghan Markle wearing butterfly earrings Meghan Markle Is Giving Princess Diana's Jewelry a New Life in Britain

    Either way, Meghan looked beautiful with a twisted updo, compliments of hairstylist Serge Normant, a subtle smoky eye and dewy skin from makeup artist Daniel Martin, and, of course, her custom Givenchy wedding dress.

    We’ll keep updating this story with details as they come, so check back!

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Veil, Bridal veil, Bridal accessory, Bride, Headpiece, Wedding dress, Fashion accessory, Hair accessory, Forehead, Bridal clothing,

    (Image credit: Getty)

    Follow along here as we report on the royal wedding in real-time—from the dress to the tiara to Harry and Meghan's most adorable moments.

    Explore More
    Meghan Markle Cosmetics
    Chloe Metzger
    Chloe Metzger
    Social Links Navigation
    Beauty Editor

    Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.

    Read more
    Meghan Markle pulling up the collar on her coat and smiling
    Royals Meghan Markle's Bare Ears and Simple Rings "Send a Powerful Message"
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle wearing a maroon coat holding Prince Harry's arm
    Royals It's "No Accident" That Meghan Markle Chose British Designers for Her Big Return
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Meghan Markle, in a cream dress, looking down and talking to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a green dress
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Once Suggested the Help of a Family Mentor for Meghan Markle
    By Kristin Contino
    Meghan Markle smiling on her wedding day
    Royals Meghan Markle's On-Sale Tatcha Skincare Is Worth the Hype
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Prince Harry wearing a gray suit and white shirt, he has balding red hair and a matching beard
    Royals Prince Harry Held Secret Meetings at a 'Gossip Girl' Location
    King Charles III (R) holds a glass of a specially produced Guyanese rum created in his honour as he speaks with Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a State Reception on October 29, 2026
    Royals King Charles's Reaction to Being Called "Handsome-Looking"
     
     
    Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour
    Royals "Controversial Changes" Could Affect George, Charlotte, and Louis
    Queen Camilla wearing a paisley green and white dress on the royal tour with King Charles
    Royals An Unexpected Royal Relative Just Covered for Queen Camilla
     
     
    Latest in News
    Prince Harry wearing a gray suit and white shirt, he has balding red hair and a matching beard
    Royals Prince Harry Held Secret Meetings at a 'Gossip Girl' Location
    King Charles III (R) holds a glass of a specially produced Guyanese rum created in his honour as he speaks with Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a State Reception on October 29, 2026
    Royals King Charles's Reaction to Being Called "Handsome-Looking"
     
     
    Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour
    Royals "Controversial Changes" Could Affect George, Charlotte, and Louis
    Queen Camilla wearing a paisley green and white dress on the royal tour with King Charles
    Royals An Unexpected Royal Relative Just Covered for Queen Camilla
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.